


Crossed hearts

by Nirmalneaners



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman Beyond, Justice League - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Feels, Bruce Feels, Bruce Has Issues, Bruce Needs a Hug, Clark Tells the Truth, Clark needs a hug, Confessions, Depressing, Feels, Fire, Goodbyes, Grief/Mourning, Heartache, Heartbreak, Last Goodbye, M/M, Memories, Oh My God, Old Age, Old Friends, Older Characters, POV Clark, Regret, Sad, Sad Ending, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Understanding, What Was I Thinking?, Why Did I Write This?, god why do i do this, poor babies, sad clark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 04:25:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12124458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nirmalneaners/pseuds/Nirmalneaners
Summary: “I wish we could go back sometimes. I miss you, B.”Humph.“Those days are over.”





	Crossed hearts

**Author's Note:**

> God, I am so sorry in advance.
> 
> I've got college in 2 hours and I haven't slept in more than a few hours and somehow ended up tearing up to this as I listened to Saturn and my god what have I done.

There are some chapters in a person’s life that close forever, pages that would never be seen again no matter how much a person wanted to start over and live them all moment by moment. This house, Gotham- _Bruce_. They were chapters Clark thought were closed forever. Yet here he was all these years later sat in an old armchair in front of a log fire with him at his side. He didn’t know what to think, even after all the years of planning how this would turn out if he ever got the chance. He should have known nothing concerning Bruce _could_ be planned.

He looked to his side at a face he had come to love over time, illuminated only by the light of the fire. Age had gripped Bruce more tightly than it had himself, his once sharp features had dulled slightly, softened by wrinkles and deep frown lines. He himself had only grayed slightly at the sides while Bruce’s trademark black hair had faded to a murky silver. It hit him how much he will lose in his lifetime, and how much he had lost already.

“I can still see.” Came a grunt, still hard and as deep as it was when he first heard it. “did you come just to stare at me all night, or do you actually have a purpose here?”

And still as hard and curt as before, that too apparently would never change.

“it’s been a while.”

“That’s what happens when time passes, Kent. Surely you didn’t need to come all this way for me to tell you that?”

“Do you have to do that?” he asked, expatriated as Bruce side eyed him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t. You never do, do you?”

They lapsed back into an awkward silence, both watching the flames flicker wildly. Bruce didn’t answer his statement, but he wasn’t that surprised. There were so many things he wanted to go over, so many questions he wanted answering but Bruce was a man with walls made of lead. Clark could see through everything, but looking through Bruce was like watching the shifting texture of the Fortress of solitude. It was every changing and no matter how hard he tried the opaqueness never shifted. It was infuriating, but then again, he wouldn’t be Bruce otherwise, and Clark had always liked a challenge.

“The world has changed so much, it makes me miss the good old days when all we really had to worry about was Flash’s food bill.” He mused, noticing a small upturn of Bruce’s lip.

“I had to open the food storage to nearly a whole level just to keep the watch tower stocked. He dented my pocketbook more than any damage you did in fights.”

“I wish we could go back sometimes. I miss you, B.”

_Humph. _“Those days are over.”__

Bruce’s face turned somber, his lips falling into a mournful frown. It rattled Clark more than he would admit remembering back to the last night they had said goodbye. That’s something he never prepared himself for, and somehow, he still hadn’t come to terms with it.

“Do you ever look back and regret it?” he blurted, “Us, I mean.”

“Since the moment I left.” Bruce eventually murmured. His eyes roamed Clark's face as he paused, looking like he was drinking in Clarks features for the last time before finding their way to meet his eyes in honesty. He realized it probably was the last time. “But you had a happy life. You have a son with a woman you loved, you have a family. So, in the end? No, I don’t, and you shouldn’t either."

Clark watched him for a few moments in mourning, his mouth dry and wordless. He knew it was selfish and a stain to Lios's memory, but a part of him would forever wish Bruce had given it a chance, the ache from that wound would always eat away at him. It could've- _would've_ worked if he had just listened to Clark. This could of been a home for two. But he’d leave now, return to his son and try to never look back at the calling of a lonely heart that was too broken to let itself be loved. To a heart that was so faceless, it let him go so he could be happy with someone else.

“I love you, Bruce. _I always will_.” Tired blue eyes slid shut with a final sigh as he rose out of his chair and laid his hand on Bruce’s shoulder, and a weathered face of battle and ruin turned away to be cast in flickering light as another hand was placed on top of his with a squeeze.

“I know, Clark.”


End file.
